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Saving Fish from Drowning

A Novel

By Amy Tan

(30)

| Paperback | 9780345464019

Book Description

“A rollicking, adventure-filled story . . . packed [with] the human capacity for love.”
–USA Today

“A superbly executed, good-hearted farce that is part romance and part mystery . . . With Tan’s many talents on display, it’s her idiosyncratic wit and slyContinue

“A rollicking, adventure-filled story . . . packed [with] the human capacity for love.”
–USA Today

“A superbly executed, good-hearted farce that is part romance and part mystery . . . With Tan’s many talents on display, it’s her idiosyncratic wit and sly observations . . . that make this book pure pleasure.”
–San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco art patron Bibi Chen has planned a journey of the senses along the famed Burma Road for eleven lucky friends. But after her mysterious death, Bibi watches aghast from her ghostly perch as the travelers veer off her itinerary and embark on a trail paved with cultural gaffes and tribal curses, Buddhist illusions and romantic desires. On Christmas morning, the tourists cruise across a misty lake and disappear.

With picaresque characters and mesmerizing imagery, Saving Fish from Drowning gives us a voice as idiosyncratic, sharp, and affectionate as the mothers of The Joy Luck Club. Bibi is the observant eye of human nature–the witness of good intentions and bad outcomes, of desperate souls and those who wish to save them. In the end, Tan takes her readers to that place in their own heart where hope is found.


“Amy Tan is among our great storytellers.”
–The New York Times Book Review

“Amy Tan has created an almost magical adventure that, page by page, becomes a metaphor for human relationships.”
–Isabel Allende

“With humor, ruthlessness, and wild imagination, Tan has reaped [a] fantastic tale of human longings and (of course) their consequences.”
–Elle

“A book that’s easy to read and hard to forget.”
–Newsweek

5 Reviews

  • I love Amy Tan and her wonderful descriptions of the assimilating Asian characters and their views of the American culture.

    Is this helpful?

    ― OleArch said on Sep 21, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

  • When Bibi Chen mysteriously dies it's not over for her. Her soul will accompany her friends to Burma, the journey she planned to have with them. She's the one who tells us the story. She's the witness of all her friends' adventures. What it started as a holiday turns abruptly into an unaware kidnapp ... (continue)

    When Bibi Chen mysteriously dies it's not over for her. Her soul will accompany her friends to Burma, the journey she planned to have with them. She's the one who tells us the story. She's the witness of all her friends' adventures. What it started as a holiday turns abruptly into an unaware kidnapping by a tribe, who recognise their saviour among these funny American tourists. We will learn things about Burma and its struggle for independence as well as the daily fight of its tribes for survival in a both funny and moving way. In the end we will discover so much about humanity and friendship. Of course she'll unveil the mystery about her death too.
    After "The hundred secret senses" (I read it in Italian and I fell in love with it: http://www.anobii.com/books/I_cento_sensi_segreti/9788807015038/012c302146b0b14ea1/) another lovely book by this author.

    Is this helpful?

    ― Katia Drive(s) said on May 19, 2009 | Add your feedback

  • Again, this is not the sort of book I would usually read, but I had nothing else handy, so I read it. Nice read was too. It helped that I know many of the places where the story goes, as far as Yunnan province is concerned. Once they get to Burma the story gets lost a bit, but it was OK.

    Is this helpful?

    ― KillingTime said on Jan 14, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

  • Saving Fish from Drowning

    Again a very interesting and absorbing tale well told by Amy Tan, even though I found somewhat difficult to associate the theme of love with the main character, Bibi Chen. Her death doesn't seem to be accumulating to the deep thoughts the author might have wanted. Otherwise, it was still a good read ... (continue)

    Again a very interesting and absorbing tale well told by Amy Tan, even though I found somewhat difficult to associate the theme of love with the main character, Bibi Chen. Her death doesn't seem to be accumulating to the deep thoughts the author might have wanted. Otherwise, it was still a good read, especially at a time when we know how appalling the Burmese junta can be.

    Is this helpful?

    ― 秋盈 said on May 12, 2008 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

  • Really bad story. I couldn't find a point to it or any reason to continue so I gave it up. Not a good read at all. Skip this one!

    Is this helpful?

    ― Deanna Kyre said on Apr 11, 2008 | Add your feedback

Book Details

  • Rating:
    (30)
    • 4 stars
    • 3 stars
    • 2 stars
    • 1 star
  • English Books
  • Paperback 528 Pages
  • Edition: Reprint
  • ISBN-10: 034546401X
  • ISBN-13: 9780345464019
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books
  • Pub date: Sep 26, 2006
  • Dimensions: 20 cm x 13 cm x 3 cm Just how big is that?
  • Also available as: Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette and Others
  • In other languages:
    • <span class='translatable' lang='Cover of '{[title]}''>Cover of 'Un lugar llamado Nada'</span>
      Un lugar llamado Nada
      (Libros en Español)
    • <span class='translatable' lang='Cover of '{[title]}''>Cover of 'Perché i pesci non affoghino'</span>
      Perché i pesci non affoghino
      (Libri Italiani)
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Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN Edition List Sale Seller
9780345464019 Paperback $15.00 $10.20 Amazon US
£9.10 -- Amazon UK
$17.00 $12.41 Amazon CA
¥1905.00 ¥1715.00 Amazon JP
€11.85 €11.85 Amazon FR
-- €12.95 Amazon DE
$14.95 $13.45 bn.com
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+ 4 copies tradable: 1 in USA →
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